Agudat Israel Decides Not to Introduce ‘who is a Jew’ Amendment for a Knesset Vote

The Agudat Israel, faced by a solid wall of opposition from the Labor Alignment and some key Likud MKs, decided last night not to introduce the controversial “Who is a Jew” amendment for a Knesset vote at this time because it appeared certain of defeat. The amendment to the Law of Return would validate only those converts to Judaism converted by Orthodox rabbis.

The Aguda backed down after its Knesset faction and lobbyists failed to persuade seven Likud-Liberal MKs–including Deputy Premier Simcha Ehrlich and Energy Minister Yitzhak Berman — to abandon their declared opposition to the measure. The Labor Alignment, for its part, decided yesterday to impose party discipline, requiring all of its members to vote enbloc against the amendment.

Their votes plus those of the Shinui faction and the Hadash (Communist) party would have overwhelmed the Likud and religious party supporters of the amendment which is personally backed by Premier Menachem Begin. Aauda leaders did not take their set-back with good grace and angrily threatened reprisals,

Avraham Shapiro, leader of the Aguda’s four-man Knesset faction, denounced the Laborites as “anti-religious” and said it would be “many years” before the Aguda entered a political alliance with them. Another Aguda MK, Menachem Porush, vowed that his party would “settle the score” with the Likud-Liberals

The vote on the “Who is a Jew” amendment has been pending ever since Begin’s Likud government took office five years ago with a personal pledge by the Prime Minister that he would do all in his power to see that it was passed. Begin renewed that promise when Likud was returned to office last June with a slim Knesset majority and needed the Aguda votes to form a coalition.